US President Elect Barack Obama�s two daughters checked into their new school in Washington yesterday for the first time ahead of their father�s inauguration as the 44th President of the US later this month.

US President Elect Barack Obama's two daughters checked into their new school in Washington yesterday for the first time ahead of their father's inauguration as the 44th President of the US later this month.

Mr Obama admitted being emotional on Sunday as he travelled on a US Air Force plane to the US capital from the family's long-time home in Chicago.

His wife Michelle and daughters Sasha, seven, and Malia, 10, beat him to their new home city, arriving on Saturday evening to avoid the media spotlight surrounding the President Elect and to prepare for the children's first day at school in Washington yesterday.

The Obamas are staying at the luxury Hay Adams Hotel in Washington until they move on January 15 into Blair House, the guest residence across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House.

Security was low key as Mrs Obama accompanied her daughters to Sidwell Friends school.

Sasha is attending classes at the suburban Bethesda, Maryland, elementary-school campus, where she will be in the second grade.

Malia is in the fifth grade at the middle school campus in Washington.

Sidwell is a private Quaker school. The campus has grades five to 12 and the suburban campus is for kindergarten through fourth grade.

Mr Obama met Congressional leaders yesterday in Washington to discuss his plans for a multi-billion dollar stimulus package.

He hopes to enact the package shortly after his January 20 inauguration and said yesterday's specially- convened meeting had been called "because the people's business can't wait".

Mr Obama's team has been carving out a plan and Vice-President Elect Joe Biden said the details were almost finalised before Christmas.